A Journey to Salvation
by AyCarayChicolion
Summary: An Egyptian princess, Quecia, falls in love not only with Moses but the mystery of worshiping one and true God. Saving her people, the Egyptians, from the ten plauges and to join in the Exodus; angrying the pharaoh.
1. A Beginning of Adventure

**Quick A/N: **This story is not going to be historically correct. (going to modify some things) and will not go according to history (add random people, change names, change dates) or the Bible (not going to make Moses 40 _?_ when he kills the Egyptian for whipping a slave, etc.)…  
_*Qué Viva la imaginación_  
_*Let the imagination live! _

Please enjoy the story!

**Quick info on Characters:  
**Quecia: Pronounce - Que-s-ia (the main one, the protagonist, POV)  
Thema: "Queen" in Egyptian (Yaquelin's mother, wife of Thutmose l, made-up)  
Bakari: "Noble oath" in Egyptian (pharaoh's vizier, loyal friend)  
Safiya: "Pure" in Eygptian (Thema's main maid)  
~All other characters are real people!

!Oh and criticism is welcome. (it's my first Bible story.)

And the _Italic_ parts is when a character is thinking.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Bible or any of the people mention in the Bible: Moses, Amram, Miriam, and Jochebed.**

* * *

(Chapter 1): A Beginning of Adventure

"_Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."  
Jeremiah 1:5 _

"Husband." Queen of Egypt, Thema, tells her husband Pharaoh Thutmose l; wearing a beautiful white long dress with open-wide blue embroidery sleeves. "Let us go to the gardens to enjoy the tranquility of time between you and I. Too much work cannot be good, my beloved love. Come…" She smiles sweetly, moving her petite hands so her husband, dress in a simple pleated kilt of white linen, will follow her to the garden inside the majestic palace, resembling a jungle. "Rest your head on my shoulder to pretend that the gods stop time just for us and enjoy the seconds we have to live."

"Dear wife, you of all people know that since I am pharaoh the work will never end. If there is a small or an enormous amount; there is still going to be work sitting idly at my feet."

Thema drops her tan, slender hands by her side as her warm smile fades into a gloomy smile knowing what her husband says is true but her hope not diminishing.  
"Come." The queen tries again to convince the pharaoh to join her in the paradise inside her own home. "Let my words not be in vain."

Indeed Thutmose l does want to join Thema in the lovely garden, listening to the birds or more particularly hear the Rose-Ring Parakeet sing their cheerful songs of untold mysteries they share to the world in a different tongue. It would be his joy if only for today he would cancel all his plans of the ceremony of the god, Amen-Ra, in his temple at Abusir or cancel the meeting of going to see the vizier for the daily news. Nothing will be more blissful than to hear the queen's voice vibrating unto his skin but that would be only an imaginary dream; reality is he is the pharaoh of Egypt descendent of god Horus blessed by Amen-Ra.  
Nothing more to be said.

"Please, my dear of my life." He states melancholy as he grabs her soft and brown hands, into his own tan rough hands squeezing them tightly; her golden jewels shining with the sunrays from the opening of outside. "Do not make me choose my royal duties over you, it will agonize me deeply."

Queen Thema knows her duty is to stand still, look pretty and not fiddle around the pharaoh's affairs by standing in the way but what she has to say to Pharaoh Thutmose will affect the rule of future Egypt.

"Thutmose, I will not stand in your way." Eyeing him coldly with her dark brown eyes, rimmed with black kohl and he in return stares with eyes made of remorse. "But this cannot wait you must and will follow me to the garden if it is your will or not." The queen says irritably, crossing her tan arms full of gold bracelets jingling in the hot air.

The king of Egypt only stares with bewilderment spread on his face.  
A new surprise?

"My patience is running low." Thema tells him angrily turning around heading for the orchards. "I will be waiting for you in the heart of the garden." Her footsteps fading away with each step, entering the green-flourishing room.

The new boldness of his wife surprises Pharaoh Thutmose l. Usually she is kind, soft-hearted never so brash when she knows that he has important business to attend to.

_This must be important…_  
Pharaoh Thutmose thinks before being interrupted by the vizier Bakari coming in.

"Sire, I am here to report the daily news of Egypt." Bakari tells the pharaoh in a high-pitched voice, moving his tan hands dramatically in every direction possible; dress in a simple, white loincloth. "First, the filthy Israelites are fixing the temple of the god Horus -"

The pharaoh only raises his black painted eyebrows in surprise.

"Do not worry they are working as our slaves by your brilliant orders my glorious King of Egypt." The vizier bows down not out of respect but more out of affection.

Pharaoh Thutmose laughs in a deep tone. "Now, now Bakari stop with your sly tongue before you are the one working with the damn, inferior fools."

Vizier Bakari looks up with disbelief in his dark brown eyes that are painted with black khol.

Thutmose laughs harder now at the reaction of his long-time and loyal friend. "Calm now my trusted vizier. Those wretched Hebrews are multiplying by the seconds; if we had a war they might turn against us so building the temples of the gods will keep them occupy." Snickering wickedly now with the vizier laughing hysterically but the cough catches up to Bakari making him choke himself.

The pharaoh sighs. "Who is the bigger fool? You or the damn dogs with their worthless God?" Clutching his fist tight. "Anyway, it will save us money and the wretched foreigners will not be able to cause us trouble." Calming down, relaxing his brown fist now looking at his gold bracelet with an Eye of Horus for necessary protection from a certain God.

Bakari holds the king's left shoulder. "My glorious pharaoh, what will Egypt be without you? In ruins I tell you in ruins." His eyes close shut almost as if he is savoring the words in his mouth.

Pharaoh Thutmose chuckles quietly, removing the hands of the vizier from his broad shoulders." You fool; are you done?" He crosses his tan arms waiting for a response.

"No there is –"

"I do not care." Interrupting his friend in a cool tone. "I have other important things to do. My wife –"

"The main one, Thema, or the lesser two, Ahmose and Mutnofret?"

"Interrupt me again and I will have your head." The king eyes him vilely with his dark eyes and Bakari looks down at his bronze color sandals almost if they are interesting to glance at. "Anyway my wife, Thema, is waiting for me in the gardens. I think she has something essential to tell me. Do you know what it is?" Observing him suspiciously incase the vizier actions will uncover him.

"Me? Well… I heard." He clears his throat. "You just have to go and find out for yourself." Wiping his hands on his white, weightless loincloth; the sounds of jingling from his gold, scarab necklaces annoying the king.

"Humph." Not expecting the response from his loyal vizier who always enjoys his time gossiping like the woman in town who has nothing better to do.  
_What is he hiding?_  
_What is my wife hiding?_  
"I suppose." He grunts then leaves, his footsteps dying with each steps heading for the heart of the garden where his queen is waiting for him.

"Of course my glorious pharaoh." Vizier Bakari sighs in admiration; if one was not in the conversation one would have thought that he was sighing for his love.

* * *

Queen Thema is in the garden enjoying the sounds of the merry Rose-Ring Parakeets signing away in their tunes. Closing her eyes to concentrate on the majestic melodies as is trying to decipher the unknown tongue of the parrots, the call of the desert's tropical birds and sensing the footsteps of her divine husband coming in from the throne room.

"Ah, so you finally decided to join me." Queen Thema says opening her big, wide eyes when she sees her husband coming closer to her.

Stopping, Pharaoh Thutmose l responds. "Of course I came my beloved wife." He sits down next to her on a bench overlooking what looks like a fountain with a parrot bathing, splatting the chilly water everywhere. "Tell me, what is so important that you interrupt me during my royal duties?" The queen eyes him coldly as the king coughs. "Not that I mind." Clearing his throat. "So tell me wife, what is so important?" Grabbing her hands, taking in the scenery that lies out before him.

"What I am going to tell you is going to change possibly the rule of all Egypt."

The pharaoh only raises his black eyebrows.  
"And?"

"Well…you see you are going to be a…father…." Queen Thema chuckles gently, squeezing his hand tightly.

_A father?  
_The king thinks in shock, hardly believing it. _Is this actually true?_

"Husband?" She questions him nervously holding his hands tighter now, almost enfolding the life out of them.

"A father?" He repeats to himself aloud in a mere whisper not contemplating the statement fully. "A father?"

"Yes, a father…dear."  
_Is he not taking it well?_

"Unbelievable!" He shouts now standing with the birds chirping twice as loud; probably with the happiness of the birth of the future king. "I cannot believe it!" Grabbing the queen's soft hand to stand up and embracing her in a tight hug. "My boy, the future King of Egypt." Whispering in her ear.

"I am so grateful." Thema sniffles softly, surprising the pharaoh by letting her go.

"What is wrong my dear wife?" Cupping her round face with his large, rough hands.

"Oh, nothing my love." She laughs heartily. "I just got a little frighten that is all. Dumb no?" Holding the back of his hands.

"No, my dear of my life I am the one grateful. All my nights I had lie awake dreading if someone from the same blood of mine will inherit the crown but now the dread has deceased." Smiling. "Thank-you!" He kisses the queen softly, infused with passion.

* * *

6 months later

* * *

Pharaoh Thutmose l is sitting in his splendid chair made out of gold with bronze figurines of the king itself with Queen Thema, inscribe with Egyptian language in the royal throne him; seeing the vizier coming in from afar. Thinking about the birth of his future son. He has always long for a son to take over the throne; his other wives or lesser wives to be precise, Ahmose and Mutnofret, only bore him with unimportant daughters. Finally his wish is at his command, unless Thema bore him a … daughter…  
He shakes his head to ignore the foolish and disturbing thought.

"Tell me my trusted vizier." Pharaoh states to Bakari when he enters the grand throne room ready to share the news to the king. "What are the news? Are the despicable Hebrews suffering as our slaves? Is their hope weakening like their useless God?" Hoping to hear satisfactory news.

"Well…." The vizier gulps quickly and wipes his white garments with his course hands before answering, dreading to tell pharaoh the grave news. "The dumb dogs are flourishing and growing stronger even under the harsh conditions." Looking away not wanting to see the fury in the king's face that is burning with anger.

"Damn those fools I wish we could just kill them but then who are going to build the temples?" He growls deeply, slamming the arm-rest of the mighty and gold chair. "Take me to the fields."

"Yes, your highness." Bowing down, walking in front of the king of Egypt heading out of the grand throne room to the fields where the Hebrews are working as slaves.

. . .

The scene what the pharaoh sees pleases him dearly. The Israelites drowning in agony with bloody backs from the whips that the Egyptians lay upon them; seeing them crawling in the ground where they belong, begging for mercy. Those wretched maggots. The sight is a true masterpiece of romance.

"How can these pitiful, worthless worms keep multiplying Bakari?" He asks bitterly. "We are torturing them to their deaths yet their faces beam with hope! What is this madness?"

"What else sire? Is their damn God." The vizier with the pharaoh looks down from a hill that they were standing at staring disgustingly at the Israelites moaning in pain.

"That damn and filthy God is ruining our plans to –"

"Your highness!" Both men turn around in surprise to see Safiya, the queen's maid, running swiftly towards them wearing a simple yet elegant white lightweight gown with her colorful beaded necklaces bouncing in her chest. "I apologize to interrupt your daily walk Pharaoh Thutmose with the vizier Bakari but this cannot wait!" Safiya shouts excitedly, both men looking at each other in astonishment.

"I apologize again sires." The maid looks down beyond the hill in overwhelming shame not for her foolishness but because of the pain of the Hebrews.

"Never mind that." Pharaoh putting his left hand up to show that the maid is given permission to look up and speak to the royals.

"Thank-you." Now looking up to Pharaoh Thutmose noticing how his royal crown shines brightly almost as if the light is dancing with the help from the sun god, Amen-Ra.

"Tell me maid, what is so urgent that you disturb me from my duties and yell at the pharaoh who is a decent from the god Horus?"

"And the pharaoh's loyal vizier." Bakari interfere with the discussion, winning an evil look from the mighty pharaoh.

Safiya, the maid, blushes in humiliation, ignoring both looks from the royals.  
"Oh, your wife, the queen of Egypt, Queen Ahmose…" Taking a pause to cool down.

"Yes?" Both men question in union.

"The queen is about to give birth." The maid says in one breath.

"Oh, I see…" Pharaoh says quietly, both of helpers of the royals look at each other in bewilderment. "Wait… what!" He shouts piercingly to the skies that the Hebrews look up to face him before storming away to the majestic palace in Thebes; the vizier and maid take in what just happen and in a heartbeat they run after their king.

"My glorious pharaoh wait for me!" Bakari shouts behind the pharaoh as he catches up to with Safiya.

* * *

Not all is about wealth, splendor, or riches; like any other city with prosperity there has to be poverty. It is a law of nature; always something has to be against one another and that will never change. On a other side of Egypt where the Israelites slaves live, there lives a simple Hebrew with his family trying to survive the injustice of the cruel Egyptian lay upon them. How can they, the Egyptians, so quickly forget about the God that saved them from the seven years of famine? About how Joseph, son of Israel, interpreted the dream of then pharaoh to save the land? I guess it is easy to forget the truth but Amram is still hanging on especially when his wife, Jochebed, who is expecting a third child. No hope should be waning.

"Wife." Amram a Levite asks his wife, Jochebed, also a Levite in their little mud home in Egypt with their young daughter Miriam sitting at the small, round and wooden table in the floor enjoying supper. "Is something wrong? You look a bit ill." Taking a bite of the scrumptious bread.

"No husband, you know with the pregnancy it can be difficult at times. Do not worry." Jochebed assures her husband and daughter by giving them a sweet half-smile before getting to drink the cold, fresh water in a clay brown cup.

"Mother. Father is right, you seem a little pale." Miriam says worriedly not trusting in her mother's smile, not out of disrespect but more because of concern.

Dropping her clay cup down on the wooden table Jochebed responds. "I am all right love." Clutching Miriam's fair hands on the table, caressing her slender fingers noticing dirt underneath the nails probably from playing outside. "I promise."

"Okay…" Is all Miriam could muster slowly, removing her small hands from her mother's to remove a stray of brown hair from her face and picking up another piece of warm bread.

"See? Even our daughter is worried." Looking at his wife with brown almost black eyes made of brashness.

"I already –"

"You already said everything my dear wife." Interrupting Jochebed. "Tomorrow you are going to see those pesky ladies, which spend all their day gossiping, to see if you really are well."

"You mean the nurses right? Husband?" Jochebed answers in a mocking tone as if trying to test her husband.

"Nurses? Pesky women? The same thing." Amram takes a big bite of the last bread in the wooden basket made from papyrus.

"Father, where are your manners?" Miriam giggles at the actions of her parents who show their love by quarrelling or to her by being amusing and comical.

"Gone I tell you my sweet daughter. Gone." Jochebed sighs in defeat, getting up from the table to pick up more warm bread in her little kitchen.

Both Amram and Miriam look at each other and laugh silently.

"Gone like the God that has abandon us since the death of Master Joseph years ago." Jochebed states quietly in her tiny kitchen mostly to herself noticing how one bread got burnt slightly in the edges.

"Wife." Amram says firmly, standing up walking to her and comforting her by putting his rough, callous hands (from working in the temples and pyramids) on her broad shoulders; turning her to face him eye to eye. "No do not repeat that blasphemy again. Our God has not and **will **not abandon us. It is because of that foolish talk that makes God want to forsake us but even if He wants to he will not because we are His children if we accept him or not and that my wife is a fact." He finishes strongly, looking directly at her eyes hoping to see a slight hope come forth but instead he finds a lost tear dripping from her pale cheek to her brown coat.

"Forgive me." She cries softly, hugging Amram tight and clutching his blue robe as if it was the last day she will ever see him.

"It is not up to me to forgive. It is up to our Creator." He says softly caressing her dark-brown wavy, long hair.

"Mother… please do not cry." Miriam gets up from the floor to her parents and embracing them dearly. She hates when her mother cries or losses her faith.

"I apologize for my foolishness." Letting go the two of them and wiping the solitary tear from her light-brown watery eyes, smiling a little.

"And what about the lonely bread? Come let us sit down and enjoy supper together; the night is young you know." Amram states heart-warmly trying to lighten the mood, reaching for his daughter's petite hand.

"Yes Father." Miriam giggles softly. Happy that Mother is not weeping anymore, sitting down by Father waiting for the delectable bread.

"Okay here is the bread." Setting the bread down on the table, Miriam being the first one to take a bite. "Oh, I forgot the water! I will just grab it." Heading to the kitchen. "Ow…!" Jochebed says on the floor clutching her stomach.

"Jochebed!" Amram shouts in alarm from seeing his wife drowing in an unknown pain. "What is wrong?!" Kneeling down beside her.

His wife only responds with groans of pain while trying to remove the strays of brown hair from her pale face. One could only imagine what thoughts are interfering in her mind.

"Miriam!" Amram shouts at his daughter. "Come; let us get a doctor your mother is in pain."

"Yes Father." Her daughter responds ready to head out of the wooden door with her father.

"No!" Jochebed shouts through breaths. "I am…about to give birth…go and fetch a nurse."

"Miriam." Amram says quickly. "Stay here, I will come back with the nurse." He leaves as fast as lighting strikes.

"Yes Father." Tending her mother in any way she can. "Here mother." Putting a wet washcloth on her sweaty forehead, waiting for Father to return with the nurse; let us hope it will be quickly.

* * *

At the palace Pharaoh Thutmose l is running as fast as he can with his servants to his noble room where Queen Thema is expecting to give birth of his future son, the king. Entering the room the color fades from his face from the sight of his wife laying on the splendid blue satin sheets in dear anguish with the same actions from Bakari and Safiya that also their color fades away seeing the queen in pain.

"Husband you returned!" Queen Thema says out of breath while a nurse is putting a wet white cloth on her dripping forehead.

"Of course my dear wife." Clutching her hand securely. "I am here by your side." Kissing her sweetly on her sweaty cheek.

The main nurse shouts quickly. "If you do not mind pharaoh, vizier, I need both of you to leave; out of the room!" Pushing the men out of the bedroom.  
"You Safiya." The nurse points to the maid and Safiya's head turns to observe the nurse in instant to copy her same movements. "Stay here to aid the queen. Now!"  
Safiya only pauses from the awful yelling of the nurse and tuning in to get the materials ready.

Outside of the room.

"She is the first one to touch me without permission and live." Thutmose sweeps his clothing while Bakari only snickers quietly.

* * *

2 hours later

* * *

The pharaoh is pacing back and forth outside of his imperial room; waiting for the news of the birth of his son, the future king of Egypt, with his loyal vizier standing beside the wall also waiting anxiously for the news. Is it not what he lives by?

"More than two hours have passed and nothing! How long does it take?" The pharaoh grunts, crossing his arms.

"Remember Hatshepsut your daughter? How your lesser wife, Ahmose, took about two hours to give birth, I am sure it will not take much longer." Bakari answers him, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Hmm…." The pharaoh grunts. "Do not remind me of my insignificant wife and daughter, they are –"  
He stops when he hears the sounds of a baby wailing. "Is that?"  
The vizier looks at the door as if it will respond.

"My son!" The king shouts with glee heading towards his royal room with Bakari behind him.

But when he enters he comes across the astonishment in his life.  
The queen was lying in her blue satin sheets tired holding a baby girl on her arms.

"Her name shall be…Quecia." She whispers softly cuddling the newborn in her tired arms. The nurses and maid, Safiya, gazing at the baby with tenderness in their eyes.

"Vizier Bakari." The pharaoh says quietly only to his trustworthy vizier, ignoring the baby's cooing and the happy face from his wife. "Throw every Hebrew boy baby into the Nile River."

"What sire…?" Bakari questions slowly only to his king, not understanding the unplanned statement.  
_Where did this brazen idea come from?_

"Just do as I say servant." The pharaoh growls quietly to his subject looking at his wife that is full of happiness holding the newborn _girl _as the vizier only looks at him with bewilderment in his eyes for the king only calls him "_servant_" when Thutmose is enraged or wants something that is against the wishes of Bakari because want he demands are always so dangerous.

"I … understand your … highness." The vizier lies, trying so hard to not to raise his voice or to disrespect him.  
He doesn't understand or _want_ to understand.

_Another wicked plan on the black list of the almighty Pharaoh of Egypt.  
_Bakari thinks to himself as he forcedly bows down before the Pharaoh, leaving the room of the king and queen to head to the soldier's quarters to command them of the vile act that will lie upon all of Egypt.  
_It is times like this that Pharaoh Thutmose is not my King of Egypt._  
_Maybe perhaps the Hebrew are hideous creatures with an imaginary God, but to murder their young?  
Oh gods, please forgive this heinous deed that will indeed forever torment the future of Egypt for generations to come. I do not know how to show you that we are not murders.  
We are _**not** _murders!  
_Bakari sighs deeply almost as if taking his last breathe made out of pure air as he opens the big wooden doors that belong to the soldier's quarters.

* * *

Amram is walking back and forth impatiently outside of his mud home as he hears the screams of his wife giving birth with their daughter Miriam and the other nurses that are helping to deliver the young one.

_Jochebed you have done this two times with Miriam and Aaron. Oh God, please let it be a healthy baby and let nothing grave happen to my wife and future child.  
_Amram thinks as he waits impatiently at the birth of the child, excited what gender it could be.  
It does not matter to them anything is a blessing.  
_This is a gruesome torture for me – and I am not the one giving birth!  
Just knowing that my beloved love is in tremendous agony_ _while death's door is in Jochebed steps frightens me terribly._

"No, I am not going to think like that." Amram pauses from pacing to modify his thinking. "God will let no let anything serious happen to my wife and future child."  
_That I can be sure of.  
_Amram thinks before being interrupted by the nurse's words echoing through the house to outside.

"Just push a little more." The nurse says to Jochebed, encouraging her, who is lying on the floor with an old fleece blankets, grabbing them if her life depended on it. "…there…."

A sound of a baby crying vibrates through the mud walls.

_My young one is born!  
_Amram thinks as he heads inside of his home.  
_Oh, thank you glorious God for the birth of my youngling!_

When he enters, he pauses to see his wife lying on the floor with a newborn on her sweaty arms as she smiles happily down on the baby, wrap in a fluffy blanket, with Miriam by her side who is also gaping at the baby.

"Good to know that nothing severe happen to my wife." Amram sighs blissfully at the sight of his wife that is smiling with pure joy.

"He is born Amram." Jochebed says softly, never looking up to her husband.

* * *

I wonder what was the name the parents of Moses named him before being named…well Moses? Maybe we will never know; another mystery of the Bible.  
Finally done with the first chapter! Yay! Don't worry this is just the beginning in the later chaps. will have more action!  
**Quick Facts:  
- **Bible scholars have said that the time of the Exodus was in 1446 B.C (In the 18th dynasty, New Kingdom) during the reign of Thutmose lll. So probably Pharaoh Thutmose l was the time that he did the announcement to throw all the Hebrew male newborn into The Nile.  
_-Rose-Ring Parakeet_ is the only parrot species that live in Egypt. (from info)

**Hours to Make, Seconds to Comment! Read and Review!**


	2. To Face the Enemy

**Quick A/N: **Quick fact – this is the first time I update a story with another chapter.

**Quick info on Characters:  
**Kakra: Twin (Doll of Hatshepsut)

* * *

(Chapter 2): To Face the Enemy

"_See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Matt18:10 _

* * *

The Queen of Egypt, Queen Thema, is sitting idly in the lush gardens of her husband's, Pharaoh Thutmose l, grand palace. Noticing how the vines can take control over the yellow stone walls or how the bushes are growing bigger and friskier; taking mental notes to command the royal gardener to trim the bushes or cut the wild vines. Her thoughts get interrupted with the sounds of a baby cooing fill her ears. Thema looks down, smiling at the future princess of all Egypt; her heavy gold earrings with precious blue Lapis Lazuli rocks jingling. Her tan and slender fingers entwine with her baby daughter's little chubby hands, glancing at her tiny frame wrap in a velvety blanket. How her hair is a beautiful dark-brown color shining in the hot yellow almost orange sun and her little eyes, although right now close because of sleep, is a shade of light brown that glistens like the waves of The Nile.

_She is fit to be the princess of all Egypt.  
_Queen Thema beams silently before getting interrupted.

"Your highness!"  
Queen Thema could see Safiya, her personal maid and dear friend, running towards her from an opening of the orchards. Noting Safiya's black short hair with blunt bangs adorn with gold beads in random places and her gold dress embellish with bronze fringes that waves back and forth welcoming the hot and dry wind.

_I suppose we all dress too much alike. I wonder if anyone can tell the difference between the Egyptian women?  
_The queen chuckles quietly.

"Queen Thema." Safiya tells the queen who is now standing in front of her. "It has been about three months since I have heard you laugh." She states somberly.

Thema only smiles sentimentally at her dear friend, closing her vision to close away any remorseful memories. Only her thoughts are her eyes now as she listens to the parakeet's melodies of sad celebrations. "Sit down Safiya." Patting the stone bench for her to sit down beside her. "Three months since the birth of my little heart…my Quecia." Caressing her daughter's soft hair, savoring the short memories she shared with her.

"Oh yes, your highness." The maid replies looking at Quecia's serene face that is napping with ease on her mother lap, smiling sweetly down on her but stops to look at the queen with sternness in her brown eyes painted with green and black kohl around her eyes. "And three months since the pharaoh's insane rampage of throwing all the Hebrew newborns down the Nile River…poor babies." She says quietly, imagining what she would of have done in the Israelites place.  
Run away? Perhaps.

"My foolish husband." The queen looking up to the pale-blue sky instead of Quecia's tranquil face as if the goddess Nut, the goddess of the sky, will respond to her in that moment.  
Only the cries of the wild, tropical birds could be heard in the outside and inside of the garden.

"Why the pharaoh did this grievous wickedness? " Safiya asking the vigorous sun now, noting how Amen-Ra is swimming slowly with the goddess Nut in his golden boat that probably is carrying too much dead souls. "I might understand of the Hebrews working as slaves but killing the newborn? That is a boundary you are never supposed to see much less cross it."

"Oh, Safiya." Queen Thema clutches the tan hand of her friend. "All this is my fault."  
The maid looks at her in bewilderment.  
"If I had not borne my husband a daughter." Looking down at the soft whimpers of Quecia before speaking. "He would of not have taken the drastic measure of the grave evil he has done. If only I borne him a son then maybe his heart of stone will soften and even will free the Israelites from the harsh and cruel unknown punishment." She sighs in defeat.

"Oh, my Queen Thema." Safiya holds as tight as she can to her friend's slim hand. "This problem is not your fault. If the gods bore you a daughter there is nothing that can be done or change. Please do not offend the gods by saying those treachery things about them."

"You are right." Queen Thema exhales slowly, asking the gods for forgiveness silently before being interrupt by the baby's cooing. "Oh, look who is awake." Shifting Quecia slowly to get more comfortable, her jewels jingling also.

Safiya giggles. "The Princess Quecia is. Come, let us leave her with the nurse so we can go to the temple of the goddess Hathor, the goddess of motherhood, and pray for the baby." Now standing up, peeking at how a particular Rose-Ring Parakeet couple is nibbling each other in the massive tree to show their love to each other, blushing from the affection of the birds that should only be done privately not in public.

"Yes. Let us walk forward Safiya and not drag our feet to the future." Looking up to her, wondering why her friend got all fluster.

Safiya only nods before grabbing Thema's free hand to head to the royal bedchambers then to the Temple of Hathor.

* * *

There is too much sand. Too much desert. The heat of the damn scorching sun is too much to take. What hurts more? The beating of the sun at the backs of the Hebrew slaves that work since dawn to dusk or the whips of the cruel Egyptians lay upon them? One could imagine that the Israelites and the sun would be best of friends from spending too much time together. Who would have thought of them being enemies? And the sun instead of caressing the skin of the slave would be slaying it instead.

Amram is hauling the heavy rough blocks of stone, mud bricks mixed with straw, to finish the temples of the Egyptian's gods and the building of the minor pyramids; not focusing on the pain in his red color back, clothe in a dark blue cloak, thanks to the awful whips that the Egyptians gave him. More than three months have the Israelites have endure the harsh conditions of the red blazing sun, the hot burning sand underneath the soles of the feet, and the vicious curses of the soldiers. But Amram will not give up and will not be the next one to fall on the brown ground covered with grain. He has found the hope in the sovereign Lord that this abhorrent punishment will end in this generation or the next generation. The birth of his baby boy has fill his heart with pure never-ending happiness that though he falls face front to the ground because pf the whips he remembers his little child of three months to find the strength to get up. Falling again to the fiery sand, the pain killing him. Why? Because it is already written in his book of destiny.

"Hey you dirty and worthless maggot!" An Egyptian soldier, dress in a linen cloth from the waist going down to the knees carrying a whip with a helmet made out of cloth to protect him from the harsh sun, cries out when he sees Amram falling to the ground with the stone that he was hauling.  
"Get up you pathetic swine!" Using the black whip to strike Amram's swollen back adding more red liquid.

_Damn it…  
_Amram thinks trying to get up but the heavy load weighing him down, dropping to the ground again.  
He hears the Egyptians laugh.

"Look at this poor fool!" The soldier laughs as he whips Amram's back five more times with such force that the soldier is trying to slice him in two.

"Ugh…" Amram grunts, still trying to stand but the pain is too much to bear.

"Where is your worthless and imaginary God to save you Hebrew?" The vile Egyptians mock hysterically.

In that moment Amram finds the strength to get up from his feet, the stone tumbling to his right side to show the cruel soldiers what he said is a _damn_ lie and God will come for vengeance.

"Get the stones you dog!" The Egyptian focusing on the golden brown stone and not Amram's eyes fill with detest, piercing him like daggers.

Amram doing what he has told to do; hauling the heavy stone again, hearing the footsteps of the Egyptian soldiers fading away to the east probably looking for another Hebrew to slice in pieces with the whip.

_The sun is still up in the middle of the sky. Has time stood still?  
_Amram thinks taking a quick peek at the pale-blue sky, clearing his sweat on his wet forehead with his now brown arm getting ready to pile the stones on top of each other to finish the newborn temple.  
Sensing the eyes of someone evil.

_The wicked soldiers again?  
_He looks around; though they are soldiers all around him they are all focus on whipping each individual Hebrew for pure entertainment. _  
_Amram looks up spotting Pharaoh Thutmose l with his vizier Bakari (he has heard of the name of the vizier from a conversation of the soldiers that were babbling about the pharaoh) in a sand hill close by looking down disgustedly at the slaves as if they are a plague.

_The only plague there is…is you oh, great pharaoh with your loathsome rats eating from your glorious hand.  
_Amram eyes him bitterly with such hatred at both of them hoping for a sword to slice them in pieces and for dogs to eat their remains of rotten flesh.  
_No, not even dogs eat such filth._  
Putting his head up high and not even flinching when the cold, vile eyes from the pharaoh looks directly toward him.

"Bakari." The pharaoh states to his vizier in a sand hill looking down at the inferior slaves. "Who is that man?" Not taking his narrow, brown eyes rim with black kohl from Amram and Amram doing the same.

"Who else sire?" Bakari responds in his high-pitch voice, moving his hands in random places. "A worthless animal."

"I see…" Narrowing his eyes more taking in every little detail about Amram; his blue, now brown from the dirt, worn coat with holes that drips with red crimson blood. The sadist pharaoh smiles knowing that his men were the one that cause him the physical pain. "Let us go." He states in a cool and deep tone, satisfy that this Hebrew for every day in his meaningless life until he dies will endure tremendous agony.

"But sire!" Oblivious to the whole ordeal.

"I said let us go!" The pharaoh growls. "I am sure my wife is done from the prayers in the Temple of Hathor. I promised to meet her when she was done." Turning around heading for the gold chariot decorated with precious rocks with two fine white horses, leaving Amram with his stare made of hatred.

"Oh yes, pharaoh. Let us go." The vizier calls out, chasing him swiftly.

_You think this is torture? Let us see when you actually feel torture and you will be begging for death you damn Hebrew.  
_Pharaoh thinks climbing in his chariot and riding away with Bakari after him in a different bronze chariot.

Amram still looking at the empty hill now.  
_You will pay for every drop of blood that we, the Israelites, have shed from your whips, from your divine orders pharaoh. Not even in a lifetime could you be spare or face the sufferment of your consequences. _

"You! Damn maggot, stop staring at space and get to work!" An Egyptian soldier spots Amram, giving him two blows in the back.

Ignoring the pain and the soldier's curses, Amram gets up to stock the stone one on top of each other looking up quickly at the empty hill again to see a green tropical bird fly by screeching.

* * *

Hatshepsut, daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose l and lesser wife Ahmose, is playing with her rag doll, Kakra, who looks identically of the princess (her maid made it especially for her) in her luxury room decorated with pink velvet sheets and white wood furniture in the great palace waiting to hear her father's chariot to return hom because after his daily walk he promised to play with her (so she says). Since the birth of Quecia everything has change. Ever since the newborn has joined the royal family, Pharaoh Thutmose has pay little attention to Hatshepsut who thinks she was the favorite of the pharaoh.  
Nothing has change.

"I wish she was not born…."  
Hatshepsut says quietly now standing beside an opening of her room with her favorite doll that resembles her, wearing a flowing light pink dress with a gold belt under the bosom and her hair in two braids with gold sequins, looking beyond the blue tint with yellow sky to spot a running shadow.

"If that annoying baby was not born I would have still be the favorite!" The princess shouts, throwing Kakra to the ground as if it was the fault of the innocent doll.  
"Curse the day you were born….Quecia." Clutching her pink dress with force.

"Oh, Amen-Ra." Turning to face the pale-blue sky, releasing her hands from the dress. "Why did you let that foolish wife of Father, Thema, to born an annoying child?"  
Putting her elbows in the opening's stone walls, her fingers wrap in her face.  
"I was supposed to be Queen of all Egypt like Kakra but now that dream is gone."  
Going to the corner where she threw Kakra, her doll, looking at her brown eyes as if the doll's eyes will give her a quiet solution.  
"Unless…"

Hatshepsut pauses for a quick moment when she hears horses whine from a distance.  
"Father!" She cries in glee forgetting her doll when she sees two shadows riding in from the blue infused with brown horizon. "He returns!"  
Running out of her room to the royal throne room where she is sure pharaoh should be waiting for her, ready to apologize about all the times he has forgotten to play with her and even say that Quecia is unimportant to him like she is to the princess, picking up her favorite and only doll.

**. . .**

_No!  
_Hatshepsut thinks when she enters the royal throne room seeing the pharaoh with his pesky wife and child, his vizier Bakari and the maid Safiya.  
_They beat me to him … well not this time._

"Wife." The princess hearing the voice of the pharaoh hides behind a golden pillar, clutching her doll to her chest. "How did the offering go to the goddess Hathor?" Thutmose questions uncaringly.

"Good my husband." Queen Thema answers besides Safiya, holding Princess Quecia in her arms and noticing the indifference in her husband's voice.  
"I am hoping the goddess will be please."

"I am sure, highness." Bakari bows down.  
Thema smiling back.

"Vizier Bakari." Pharaoh grunts and Bakari stares up to the pharaoh now. "Come; let us not waste any time."  
Noticing the hurt look of Queen Thema but ignores it.  
"Let us get to work. If you will excuse us wife, maid." Looking at both women with harshness in his eyes that the maid looks down at the stone ground with unknown shame.

"Of course my … dear husband." Thema walking away with Safiya by her side, holding Quecia twice with intensity leaving them alone.

_Yes! The gods has listened to my prayers of Father being cold-hearted to the bothersome wife and child.  
_The princess thinks still behind the golden pillar listening to the kingly conversation, releasing Kakra from her chest from joy.

Waiting for the women to leave with their footsteps dying, Bakari questions his master.  
"Pharaoh why –" but gets interrupted from the voice of Hatshepsut.

"Father!" The princess shouts at her father with authority coming out from where she was hiding.

"You child! What are you doing here?!" Pharaoh Thutmose steps forward, his face full of rage glaring at Hatshepsut.

_Uh-Oh…  
_Regretting her course of actions, clutching Kakra her doll in her chest tightly again.  
She gulps before answering. "Well …" Any self-authority melting away from the ruthless, cross look of her father.

"Answer me! Were you spying on us?" Now standing right in front of her, she reaching to his chest adorn with gold plates.

"No … no." Hatshepsut looking down in pure shame, not standing her father's eyes or chest, closing her eyes letting a stray tear fall to her soft pink dress.

"You know that you are not suppose to be in the royal throne room without permission!" Noticing the stray tear, trying hard not to care.

"I know I am –" Stopping when her father grabs her face with force trying to look at him eye to eye. Now letting all the crystal tears wash away like they do when a strong river meets an engulfing blue ocean.

"Did your mother Ahmose let you come here?!" Now shouting twice as loud from the remembrance of his lesser wife and clutching the princess' face harsher. _Is this some type of revenge by her?_

"No!" Shouting back trying to control her composure and the tears. "Mother has nothing to with this. I promise Father!"

"Humph." Pharaoh letting go of her daughter's face with vigor force that she stumbles backwards.  
"Let this be the last time this happens again." He warns in a calm but spiteful tone.

"Yes … yes Father." Hatshepsut says in her sturdiest voice she can muster, turning around walking out of the royal room and caressing kakra's black braids adorn with gold sequins along the way.

Seeing Hatshepsut walking away Thutmose states. "Now for the important news." Getting ready to sit in his mighty chair that equals his power and strength.

"Yes, my master and glorious pharaoh." Knowing his master did all this so he will not play with Hatshepsut.

Meanwhile while the princess is walking back to her room with her head down, her hair covering her face and her doll still clings to her bosom. "This is all Quecia's fault!" She says bitterly to herself.  
_You will suffer like you made me suffer … little half-sister._

* * *

Night after night Amram hurries home from work ignoring the throbbing pain in his back, his fresh blood turning dry from the cruel conditions of the damn blazing weather and the torment of the Egyptian soldiers – afraid that the soldiers have visited his home. The same God-awful fear has crawl under his skin for three months since the vile and heinous announcement of throwing the Hebrew babies into The Nile. The dread of one day coming home and to encounter the little bed of his baby boy empty is a fault Amram will never forgive himself.

Amram running through the mud streets in the dark night avoiding the Egyptian soldiers along the way and ignoring the eyes of the people in the streets who are standing idly talking about nothing in small groups.

"Oh God, help us keep our son safe from the cruel Egyptians."  
Amram prays out loud through the crowded streets, not caring if the Egyptians could hear him since they could not understand him but winning remorseful eyes from the Hebrew man who suffered the unfortunate fate of the killing of their male newborns.  
Every night the same prayer in the same labyrinth of what he almost calls home.

"There is Miriam!" Amram shouts quietly to himself upon reaching his mud home when he spots Miriam, his daughter, in front of the brown door. "The soldiers must have not come."  
Praying to God, grateful for this miracle.

Quickly Amram enters the house by bolting the wooden door down. Seeing Jochebed, dress in a yellow tunic with her dark brown, wavy hair running freely behind her back, with the baby in her arms cover in a fleece blanket beside Miriam.

"Husband!" Jochebed cries, running to him. "Thank God for your safe return."  
Holding her free hand to cup his face.

"Is the child all right? The soldiers have not come, correct?" Amram holding her fair, warm hand.

"No but …." Jochebed pauses looking at the mud floors.

"What?!" Amram shouts anxiously, knowing it would be bad news that will slip through her lips; clutching her slender hands.

"When Miriam was in the streets … playing …" Still looking at the ground, not daring to see her husband's eyes.

"God woman, just spill it your making me die from unknown dread." Letting go of Jochebed and walking to the corner of the room where there is an opening overlooking outside, looking out for some evil shadow that will slip in without invitation.

"I apologize husband." She sighs looking at him across the small room.

Amram only stares outside emotionless waiting for her to continue.

"When Miriam was in the streets, playing earlier." Jochebed continues, Miriam holding her mother's hand tightly to assure her everything will be all right. "Miriam heard through the crowded street that tomorrow at noon the Egyptian soldiers are coming to check all the houses at this colony to make sure they check everything and every house for newborns."  
Jochebed cries softly, releasing her grip from Miriam to wipe the tears that are slipping to her yellow tunic.

"Dammit." Amram growls quietly, pounding the mud walls with such force that Miriam thinks he will break the house in one punch. "Dammit all!"

"Husband!" Jochebed wails, handing the little baby to Miriam small arms. "Please calm down … please." Running up to him, embracing him from the side hoping to calm his fury.

"How in the name of God will I calm down?!" He shouts with intensity almost shaking the walls down, shoving Jochebed to the floor and waking up the sleeping baby; Miriam trying to calm him. "All this time hiding the little one for nothing, all has been in vain. In vain!" Sliding to the ground, slamming it. "We should have given the newborn to the Egyptians when he was born so we would not endure this pain and maybe in three months we already have overcome the grieving." Weeping loudly now, hiding his face with his callous hands.

Jochebed could not believe her ears.  
_Did Amram really just say all those heinous things?_  
Her light-brown eyes wide-open staring impassively at Amram on the dirty mud floor; speechless.

"Amram." Jochebed says surprisingly calm, her eyes close now. "Get up."  
Waiting for Amram to do her command.  
Miriam surprise with this entire ordeal not knowing to stay, hide, go outside, or just cry. She wants to do everything at once but just stays standing quietly holding the baby boy in her arms calming him down, too shock to do anything.

"I said get up!" Jochebed shouts angrily, startling both Miriam and Amram with the baby crying, opening her eyes now.  
Amram getting up from the floor slowly, astonish with his wife sudden anger; looking at her eye to eye.

"Do not repeat that foolishness again Amram." Piercing him with her narrow, tire brown eyes.

Silence. All is silence.  
Both Amram and Jochebed standing emotionless, staring at each other without blinking.

"Father …" Miriam dares to say quietly. "Mother has a plan …"

Amram gulps before answering, not taking his eyes from Jochebed. "Oh? And what is it my daughter?" Blinking slowly.

"That tomorrow at dawn we will build a little basket made from papyrus and put him in the Nile River." She says softly, looking at the tiny baby.

"What?!" Looking at Miriam and then at his wife.  
Is this some type of trick?

"That is correct Amram. This is the only way to save our son's life and tonight will be the last night that you see the little one." Biting her tongue so she will not cry again.

Amram looking at the baby in Miriam's arm, watching her shushing the baby quietly.  
"The last night?" He questions himself in disbelief, walking close to his daughter stretching his brown arms. "May I?"

"Yes Father!" Miriam giggles, handing the loud baby to her father.

Amram looking at his young one thoughtfully; noticing his beautiful golden brown eyes, his porcelain clean fair skin, and his brown silky hair that shines with intensity from the light of the shining candles. Everything about him is perfect and not because he is the Father.  
"Forgive me little one." Holding the baby's little chubby fingers, Jochebed harsh features turning soft. "What I said about you I did not mean it. I swear it. You are my sunshine of my heart that lights my way through the dark abyss." The little baby laughs in understanding. "What I said I did not mean it. I will do everything to save your life … forgive me again." Touching his soft hair softly.  
"Forgive me." Now turning to his wife facing her with sternness.

Jochebed smiles a tiny smile. "I forgive you my dear husband of my life." Walking closer to him, grabbing his face leaving enough space for the giggling baby. "God will help us find a way to save our son. Please do not doubt his power."

"I will never doubt with power." Amram replies back, kissing the palm of his wife's hand.

* * *

Yes! Done with the second chapter!  
Oh and a really quick note (to make it clear): The Egyptians soldiers know a little bit of Hebrew so they can mock the Israelites that is why Amram could understand them and not the common Egyptian people from the town/colony when he was running to his house.

**Quick Facts:**  
-goddess Hathor was the goddess of joy, feminine love, motherhood. One of the most important/popular deities throughout Ancient Egypt. Identified later with the Egyptian goddess Isis (Much venerated in the Late Period) and the Greek goddess Aphrodite.  
-The Israelites slaves did not actually build the Great Pyramids because that was in the time of the 4th dynasty (Old Kingdom) (King Seneferu and so on) to the Middle Kingdom (12th dynasty) (some scholars believe from the time of Joseph) so they actually build/reconstructed temples and maybe even some minor pyramids. (pyramid building had ended before the Israelites arrived in Egypt)  
-In Ancient Egypt a temporary army only lasted for as long as the campaign was alive and then dispersed (young men go back to their old jobs). It would be in the New Kingdom (where we are now … in the story) where the pharaoh makes a permanent army.  
- And yes Hatshepsut is a child about 13 yrs. old

**Hours to Make, Seconds to Comment! Read and Review!**


	3. Moses - I Drew From the Waters

**Quick Info on Characters:  
**Meshullam: "Paid for or Friend" in Hebrew (An old friend of Amram)  
Adina: "Delicate, gentle" in Hebrew (Servant of Princess Hatshepsut)

* * *

(Chapter 3): Moses – I Drew from the Waters

"_She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."  
Exo 2:10 _

* * *

The beautiful dawn is giving birth to a new day with the sun waking up slowly from the east and the transparent light-rays shines brilliantly down on the earth to announce its morning, awakening all of Egypt.  
The gleam of the yellow sun barely touches the house of Amram and his family, stirring them to wake up and to face a new day with new hope – well, looking ahead in life is to live without fear.

_Damn the sun blinding my eyes…  
_Amram thinks as he removes the blankets away from him to put them beside him.  
_Damn Egypt, damn the Egyptians with their damn projects of us working us their slaves, and damn everything and everyone.  
_He recites the same "prayer" before getting up from the floor where he sleeps every day, but now it's more of a custom than a prayer from his heart.

"Good morning everyone." Amram yawns to his sleeping family as he dresses himself in a brown long cloak (his usual attire) and walks to the little crib of the three month baby boy.  
"And good morning to you too little one." He whispers slowly as he smiles down on the young one, but his smile fades away quickly into nothing when Amram remembers that today will be the last day he will ever see his little one for today his wife, Jochebed, will put him in The Nile so the currents will wash him away from here – away from hell in earth.  
_It is the only way to save you little one. Death is not the answer for you, which I can assure you._

"Oh, good morning Husband." Jochebed says softly, interrupting Amram from his thoughts who turns around to smile in return, as she gets up from the floor and walks to the other side of the room to wake up their sleeping daughter, Miriam.  
"Miriam wake up for it is morning." She kneels to shove her, oh, ever so slightly before getting up to head to the opposite side of the room to dress herself in a faded red tunic and then goes to the kitchen.

"Morning…?" Miriam yawns loudly as she gets rid of the sheets away from her to rise from the floor and rubbing away the sleepiness in her tired brown eyes.

"Yes child, now help me prepare breakfast." Jochebed answers back to her daughter inside the kitchen. "Today will … change all of our lives; for better or for worse? Only God knows." Referring to their current situation and not having the will strong enough to glance to the direction of the little one.

"Yes Mother…" Miriam replies softly knowing to what she was signifying, wanting to go the crib of her little brother, but instead she walks to the kitchen from the order of her mother.

"Thank-you my daughter." Jochebed replies as she smiles faintly before turning her back to Miriam and Amram.  
_Today will be very grave … very grave indeed._ _But if God choose this path for us then I will not argue with the Creator, the Creator of everything and everyone.  
Not all will be in vain.  
_She thinks before getting started on the same breakfast of warm bread and water: the food of the slaves.

**. . .**

When all breakfast is done.

"Are we ready to face our reality to end this façade?" Amram questions soulless, sitting on the brown floor looking at his wife straight in the eye and she in return puts the last bread in her hands slowly on top of the wooden table, waiting for him to continue.  
"This whole time in breakfast we acted as if nothing is the matter, as if everything is perfectly all right.  
Do I have to remind you that … that." He sighs in desperation of not having the will to finish his sentence.

"Relax Husband." Jochebed replies softly. "I know. I just wanted to enjoy the last breakfast as a family with the little one." She turns her head to face the direction of the little one sleeping soundly in his little crib. "Well, it is time." Jochebed states somberly as she gets up from the table to finish preparing the little wooden basket from papyrus reed.

"I will help you Mother." Miriam says, getting up from the floor to follow her.

"No child, you keep watch on the Egyptian soldiers. We do not know when they will come." She kneels to the ground to finish putting paste on top of the basket as Miriam is overlooking through the opening of outside.  
"I am almost finished."

"Hurry my wife. We cannot trust the rumors that the vile Egyptians will come on midday." Amram tells her who is also beside the window with Miriam as he overlooks through the outside to view yellow sand with a pale blue sky.

"I know. I am just putting the finishing touches." She says not looking up to him, all her attention to the basket.  
_It was a grand idea to start building the basket late at night.  
Be free, my little one. Be free._  
Jochebed thinks as she wipes away a stray crystal tear.  
"There … it is done."

Miriam and Amram both turn away from the window with the cool breeze between their skins to look at the direction of Jochebed, both hoping that this moment will be for an eternity and never end.  
But Jochebed words both prove that the belief was a just a lie … a myth.  
Time did move on without them.

"Are … are you sure you are done?" Amram whispers slowly. "I mean, it is all done perfectly, right? Maybe check again … for mistakes and take your time if you want. I give you permission."

"Amram you fool." His wife gets up from the floor to walk to the crib of the baby boy.  
"Ah, my little one, come." Lifting the baby with her slender arms and cuddling him. "It is time."  
She says the words as she feels tears running through her face.  
_No, I will not cry. I promise myself that I will not cry.  
Be strong Jochebed. Oh, God of my life, give me the strength.  
_Jochebed thinks as she puts the three month baby into his new little basket slowly and carefully, adjusting the fleece blankets around him.

"Let me see him for the last time, my love." Amram walks swiftly to the little basket as Jochebed takes a few steps backwards to let him have his space.  
"My little one … this is not the end. We will meet someday in the future. The saintly God will make my desires come true … just do not forget about us." He stumbles through his last words, the pain killing him severely in his chest and turning around to kiss Jochebed in the forehead.

"Oh, Amram." Jochebed hugs Amram tightly, letting the moment take them away from here for at least a second. "I need to leave now." Releasing him to look at him straight in his brown eyes to notice a solitary tear and wipes it away with her shaky hands.

"Enough of this." He laughs quietly. "Go now before I regret all of this."

"Yes." Turning her head to face Miriam and stretching her hand to her. "Let us go."

"Yes Mother." Miriam takes hold of her mother's sweaty hand and squeezes them tightly, drowning the life out them.

"We will return shortly." Jochebed states heading out of the door with their daughter and the door closes with a loud impact, leaving the house all quiet and alone with only Amram who is standing idly looking at the door as if hoping his wife and daughter will come back with the little one and say: _"Amram, all of this was a cruel joke. Come, let us celebrate to life."  
_But as his eyes burn from not blinking he returns to reality, wiping the tears away forcedly with his callous hands.  
_Real men do not cry. Dammit!  
Crying? Who said anything about crying?  
My eyes are only – _  
His thoughts get interpreted when he hears a loud banging on his door.

"Jochebed…?" He calls out loudly.

"Open … door you … damn swine!" A deep voice from a man comes behind the door that is banging the door loudly and he has a strong Egyptian accent that is speaking broken Hebrew words.

_The Egyptians? I thought they were coming here until midday?  
Then..?_

"Amram open the wretched door now!" A different voice from a different man spoke this time, but in the proper Hebrew language.

"What?" Amram thinks in shock, not able to move. "His voice sounds so … familiar, but it cannot be!"  
_Will one Hebrew betray another Hebrew?  
Will one brother betray another brother?_

"You … worthless maggot!" The Egyptian shouts as he breaks down the door to reveal five Egyptian soldiers with a Hebrew man standing there beside them dress in a gray long cloak with dirt all over him.

"Meshullam … how could you cooperate with the enemy?!" Amram yells when he sees, what he thought to be his old friend, Meshullam standing in front of him with _their_ enemy.  
"Why are you beside our enemy? The enemy that murder our young!"

"You fool." Meshullam growls with hatred in his voice and face as he pierces Amram with deadly hazel eyes. "Why should you be the only one to have their new born live and not ours? Don't you think I have heard your idiot prayer of yours of saving your young? Damn you, you wretched fool to think you are better than us when we are simply worms. _Worms_!"

"You traitor." These are the only two words what Amram could muster in a single breath, not taking his eyes of the Hebrew man as he tries to control himself of making a deadly act that will be the cause of his death in the hands of the Egyptians.

"Traitor? Hah, traitor perhaps, but who cares? At least now I am a traitor with freedom!" Meshullam shouts bitterly with slight humor infused in his voice knowing it is just a false belief as he holds a paper made from papyrus reed to Amram's confuse face.  
"Look." He points towards the brown paper as he looks over it. "It reads: "If you know of a Hebrew man who is hiding his young one and if you turn him in, in exchange we, the Egyptians, will give you freedom to you and to your family."

"You fool!" Amram shouts at this man's stupidity as he focuses on the paper that is written in Egyptian writing. "How do you know they are telling you the truth and did not write stupid lies?!"  
_Oh, God, I pray you that Jochebed will not cross with these monsters through the path of The Nile and thank-you for the right time of my wife's leave, if she was still here then….  
_"Besides, even if we are chain to the wall we are still free."

"What are you stupid? How can someone be free if they are bound to the wall?" The Hebrew man laughs mockingly at Amram's last, but true statement.

"We are free right here." Amram points to his head. "In the mind. If we are slaves at least we are free in the mind and heart. No chains can break the spirit if the spirit is strong enough with God's help."

"Enough!" One of the Egyptian soldier yells, interrupting the Hebrews with their conversation. "Where is your newborn?" Grabbing his swords to throw clay jars into the floor with a loud impact as he hopes to frighten Amram.

"I do not have one." Amram says simply to the soldiers with no fear in his eyes, opening his arms wide. "Look all around my little home of one room. I do not have a newborn." He steps aside to let the soldiers see around as he drops his arms to his side.

"We will see about that … Hebrew." The chief soldier narrows his cold eyes to Amram. "Soldiers! Look around the house for any sign of a baby."  
At once the other soldiers do what they were told to do by throwing everything to the floor.  
Once they have checked everything one of the soldiers goes to the chief, whispering in his ear, and the chief nods in return.  
"You two." He points to the two soldiers close to him. "Take them away!"

"What?!" Meshullam shouts in fear with his hazel eyes grow wide from desperation. "But I am – "

"You fool! They are just using you! They will – " Amram takes a step further not even finishing his sentence to hold the faded gray cloak of Meshullam, choking him tightly.

"Get away … from me … with … your dirty hands!" The man growls, trying to push Amram to the ground, but fails with his lack of strength. "Help …!"

At once the two soldiers come to interfere as one holds Meshullam and the other holds Amram.

"Let go of me!" Amram shouts as he tries to fight against the Egyptians and punches one soldier into the ground.

"You!" An Egyptian soldier grabs ahold of his swords to stab Amram in his side.

"Stop fool!" The chief soldier says in his native tongue as he comes in between the soldier and Amram to stop him in his tracks, facing the soldier with his back to Amram. "We need both of them alive as per the orders of the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt."  
As he finishes his sentence the soldiers puts his sword away, looking at Amram with a deadly glare.

_What the hell did these soldiers say in Egyptian?  
This is not good; at least they are taking me away instead of my wife, daughter, and my little one.  
And damn the traitor for betraying me.  
_Amram thinks, gripping his fist tightly to his side as he waits for the next move of the soldiers.

"Now, take them away." The chief soldier says in Hebrew so the two man will understand, exiting out of the house while his men take action of his orders.

"What are you doing?!" Meshullam shouts in despair when the soldiers grab ahold of him by the shoulders. "Let go of me! I am on your side … please!"

"How can we trust you … pig if you betray your own race?!" The Egyptians soldiers laugh mockingly, gripping their grip tighter on the man as he tries to squirm away. "You actually think we will give you freedom Hebrew?"

"But the paper, the … the agreement?!" The man shoves the paper to the soldier's face, ignoring the last statement of the Egyptian. "Don't you dare do this to me or my family! – Oh God!"  
He weeps as the soldiers take him away and the soldier laughs at his failure along the way, removing the paper away from his face. "It means nothing!"  
Meshullam officially leaving Amram's house to his fatal fate.

"Relax." Amram says calmly to the Egyptians, facing to the soldiers as he puts out his shaky hands out in front of him. "At least take me away with honor."  
He waits as he soldiers ties his hands up with rope, then he is taken outside with the traitor.  
_I regret nothing.  
_Amram thinks, looking back at his broken home for he knows it will be the last time he will ever see the house how it just to be – a home made out of faith.  
He walks outside, feeling the hotness of the sun in his tired flesh. If he would have not known better it will be a perfect day to go out to the fields with the family.

"My freedom…" Meshullam shouts piercingly to the blue skies as the soldiers take him away to an unknown destination with Amram half unconscious with his soul half dead.

* * *

The hot yellow sun strokes down at Jochebed and Miriam tired backs, who finally arrive to the black rich silt bank of The Nile, avoiding the Egyptian soldiers along the way with the gentle currents of the green waves crashing against each other that soothes Jochebed's soul a little as she walks through the tall green grass, trying hard not to be seen and holding on tightly to the little basket with the baby whimpering quietly on her chest.

"This way child." Jochebed whispers quietly into Miriam's ear, never letting go of the basket on her chest as she tries to makes a path on the tall grass. "We are almost near the shore."  
Miriam only nods to her mother's comment, seeing the edge of the river come closer and closer.

_Oh God, hopefully nothing grave has happen to Amram.  
I am already losing my little one, please not my husband too for my little heart will not withstand.  
_Jochebed thinks somberly as she has a dark presentiment that something heinous will occur, but ignores the pain in her chest to focus her current task in hand.

When they finally reach the shore of the river, both kneel to the ground to get closer to the waters.  
Jochebed slowly puts the basket with her young in the river, holding one side of the basket so it will not slip away.

"Oh, my son, it tears my soul to send you away from me … from us as I am left here all alone and abandoned. I always knew that someday this day will occur, but I never thought in this way." Jochebed weeps silently to say farewell to her little one as she feels the hot tears running though her face, but ignores them. "May God watch over you and protect you wherever you go."

"_But that, if I forget you? It is not that easy, even though the little time we live together was only but a dream. And now that you leave us, I awake from my selfish dream.  
Why does this have to be so cruel until the end?"_

Miriam giggles, interrupting Jochebed from her thoughts. "His basket will float like a little boat."

"Yes, you are right dear." Jochebed smiles a faint smile implanted on her lips at Miriam's light-weight comment. "Well you know the plan, correct? You will keep watch over him, Miriam, when I let go of his basket so he will float down The Nile to see what will happen to him, but remember child if there is danger lurking turn back to return to me."

"Yes, Mother, I understand." Miriam tells her mother with full of determination in her brown eyes.  
"I am ready, please let go of the basket."

Jochebed slowly and not willing lets go of the basket and at once the gentle currents of The Nile take the basket away slowly as they hear sounds of the baby whimpering fading away.

_This action kills me too deeply.  
_Jochebed thinks as she sees Miriam jogging behind the basket near the shore and soon she disappears through the wild plants.  
_Oh, God, please protect over both of my children._

**. . .**

"Princess Hatshepsut." One of the princess' attendants, Adina, says to Hatshepsut who is ready to have her morning bath on the bank of The Nile.  
"There are no crocodiles in this area as I already checked. It is a good zone to have your morning bath."

"Don't you think I know that?" Hatshepsut snaps back at the servant as she gets ready to take off her royal white robe but stops when she notices something strange floating in the river. "And what is that?"

Both of the attendants turn their heads to face of the direction to where the princess is pointing towards to. "It seems that it looks like a basket." One of them answers back to their master.

"Basket?" Hatshepsut questions in disbelief, but her curiosity getting the best of her. "Well that is indeed strange. Hmm … my servants go and fetch it for me. I want to see what is inside of it."

At once both of the servants jump in to the green river to get the strange basket.  
When they have retrieved the basket, the maids brings the basket to the princess to examine it, but Hatshepsut gets astonish when she notices how heavy it is, who then opens it.

"A Hebrew baby?" Hatshepsut says in shock as she views the content of the basket. "Ew, how did this … thing got in here?" She quickly gives it to her servant next to her forcedly. "Get rid of that thing!"

Adina's heart is torn apart from the wickedness of the of the princess' attitude.  
"But your highness …" She knows it is a grave error to question your master, but Adina cannot just let this baby be eaten by the crocodiles just because of the princess' harshness.  
Maybe perhaps it is of her same blood, Hebrew blood, who cries out to her of wanting to save the youngling. "Listen to him cry! At least we can find someone to feed it and care for him."

"Are you doubting my authority?!" Hatshepsut yells at her maid. "Send that wretched baby to the crocodiles now servant!"

"… yes princess." Adina replies slowly, getting the basket up from the floor.

_Perhaps this is a sign from the Egyptian gods to keep the baby.  
_The Princess thinks as she sees her servant taking the basket away.  
_Maybe I should keep that wretched baby to make my father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, jealous and mad.  
Then he will finally love me and will even vanish my dumb little half-sister Quecia and then I rule all of Egypt._

"Halt servant!" Hatshepsut shouts loudly so her maid will hear her and Adina turns around in an instant to face the princess with slight hope in her face. "Bring that child to me. I will take care of him."

"You?" Adina says accidently as Hatshepsut raises her black painted eyebrows. "I mean … you are only a child yourself. Perhaps someone else, at least until the youngling grows a bit older."

The princess holds her tan chin in thought. "Yes you are right, but who?"

The other maid speaks up this time. "Maybe – "

Just then, they hear something moving through the tall grass of The Nile as fear crawls inside of their skin, hoping it is just a mouse and not an ugly beast roaming around in the wilderness.

"Are … you sure you check for crocodiles?!" The princess says in terror as she backs away slowly.

"Yes." The two servants reply also in alarm together, side by side by Hatshepsut.  
The three of them listening attentively as the sound gets louder and louder, fearing the worst.

Then a young girl, dress in slave clothing with rip leather sandals, comes out of the tall grass to reveal herself to the three of them, not knowing that Miriam was listening on their conversation the entire time.

"What?" The princess whispers in astonishment, releasing her breathe that she was holding.  
"A Hebrew girl? What are you doing here?" She questions demandingly at the girl, though grateful that it is just a mere girl than a hungry crocodile.

Miriam ignores the questions of the princess from excitement that the royal family has found her little brother and in a blur she asks her a question, forgetting the rules of the wealthy.  
"Shall I find a Hebrew nurse for the baby?"

Hatshepsut blinks for a few moments at the girl's, well to the princess, foolishness of not answering her question and instead the slave _ask her_ a question.  
"You! Do you even know who I am?!"  
The princess yells at the slave as she looks at Miriam up and down, noticing her ugly and rip clothing, her black oily hair, and that they are both of the same height and of age.

"Princess please…" Adina interferes with the discussion as she views Miriam's frighten face. "She is only trying to help, besides did you not say that you needed someone to take care of the baby that came from the river? Maybe it is a sign from the … _gods_ … above."

Princess Hatshepsut thinks for a slight moment.  
"All right, but I am not going to pay you or your nurse to feed the baby. It is going to come from your bartering that you slaves get from the whips of my father's orders!"

Miriam looks at Hatshepsut for a couple of seconds with eyes made from detest as she finally remembers who the Egyptians are: the people who made the Hebrews as slave just for believing in a different, but true God.  
But in a second she recalls to turn around to run back to another part of the river's shore to tell her mother the great news, leaving Hatshepsut with her two maids in bewilderment.

At the other side of the river.

"Mother!" Miriam shouts trying to spot her mother as she ignores the thoughts of her head of the princess' comments and instead thinks that her brother will be save from death.

"Miriam!" Jochebed yells back, behind the tall grass. "I am right here. Tell me what happen!"

"Mother, come right away the Princess of Egypt has found our baby and she wants a Hebrew nurse to take care of him!"

"God has answered my prayers, Miriam. My son will be safe with the princess."  
And they both hurry of to where the princess is with her two attendants.

At the river's edge.

Jochebed and Miriam arrive slowly to where Princess Hatshepsut and her two maids are waiting for their return. Upon seeing the princess awaiting impatiently, Jochebed sees the young princess that seems she to be about twelve years of age with her short black hair adorn with gold beads , her bright yellow long dress embellish with long bronze fringes in the front , and her heavy jewels with precious Turquoise that shines with the sun rays, almost dancing.  
She _truly_ is fit to be a princess.

"Princess…" Jochebed states slowly when she is in front of the Princess with her two attendants and unwilling bows down.  
"You call for a Hebrew nurse?"

Hatshepsut cannot help to look at the inferior slaves up and down with their disgusting rip clothing, worm leather sandals, and the dirt all over them.

_Such a great gap between us.  
_Hatshepsut thinks gratefully as she still looks at them disgustingly.  
_Thank you gods for the separation of race, religion and of wealth between them and I.  
I will not stand being compared to any of them. Such filth should die._

"Yes I did." The princess says stubbornly when she is finally out of the trance and just looks at them eye to eye. "Well you are the one, correct?"

"Yes your highness." Jochebed bows down again slightly at her, and then walks to Adina, the maid that is holding the basket in her arms.  
"Please, may I?"

"Of course here –." Adina says happily as she hands the little one still inside the basket to Jochebed.  
"Take good care of him."

"Yes. Thank you." Jochebed beams at Adina who smiles back.  
_Finally the little one is where he belongs – in my arms.  
Oh, God, thank you for this miracle and now I will watch him grow for a couple of years.  
Such a great blessing you place upon us._  
"And thank you." Jochebed ignores her thoughts as she faces Princess Hatshepsut with a stern face.

Hatshepsut is about to say something when Adina spokes before her.  
"The princess is like that child." Adina states referring to Miriam as she smiles. "Although different in race, religion and in wealth, they both have a gran heart."

Hatshepsut feels she wants to throw up at being compared to that wretched, sickening and repulsive child. She, the princess of all Egypt, being compared with that disgusting slave girl that is only a worm?  
And she can order the guards to kill her and no one will care because she is no one!  
_Adina will pay for her damn treachery!_  
Hatshepsut is about to open her mouth to send her away and kill her, but what comes out of her mouth shocks her in dead spirit.

"Take care of this baby. If anyone questions you, send word to me at once. I'm naming him _Moses _because _I pulled him out of the water_."  
Hatshepsut silently in shock of not knowing how these words came out of her mouth as her head is fill with thoughts about the stupid comments her foolish maid said about her and that wretched slave girl are alike in any type of way.

Jochebed and Miriam both look at the Princess in disbelief, both knowing these words did not came out of Hatshepsut heart but instead it is the word from God.  
"Moses…" Both of them state in the same time.

"Yes your highness." Jochebed states slowly as she turns around with Miriam to head home where Amram is surely awaiting for her anxiously at their home, the tall grass eating them swiftly.

* * *

**Quick Facts:**  
-Hatshepsut's servants are Hebrew servants that know the ancient Egyptian language.  
-Quick life of Hatshepsut:  
She is daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose l and of Queen Ahmose.  
Probably as you already know (or read) she is possibly the princess that rescue Moses from The Nile as in the Bible she is named: "Pharaoh's Daughter" and because she was a child herself that is why maybe she needed a nurse to care of him until she was older. (If you do calculations of dates and of age)  
Also she had a lot of power and authority. I mean imagine: she defile her father, Pharaoh of all Egypt, to take care of a Hebrew baby, the same race that the pharaoh wanted to kill.  
If that age she already has a lot of authority and power then is no wonder that she became the first female Pharaoh of Egypt.

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